The present invention generally relates to handles for fishing rods and, more particularly, to an improved handle for a fishing rod of the through rod construction type using a standard reel seat body. In this regard, an important aspect of the present invention concerns a unique fishing rod transition collar which provides a smooth transition from a rod reel seat body to a rod handle grip assembly.
Fishermen have long realized the importance of "feel" between line, rod and reel during the cast and during the retrieve. One means of achieving better "feel" and comfort to fishermen has been to provide a fishing rod with a handle which is offset from the axis of the rod blank. Such an offset handle allows a fisherman to posture his hand so as to achieve greater accuracy during cast with minimal discomfort. In rods of the non-bland-through design, wherein the rod blank does not travel through the handle, offset handles of various lengths can easily be provided. Such offset handles, however, must be made strong enough to withstand wear and tear and the applied forces during cast, retrieve and normal use. Accordingly, such offset handles typically tend to be relatively heavy.
Experienced fishermen have noted the advantages of fishing rods of the so-called through rod construction type, that is, those rods which enable the full diameter rod blank to be inserted throughout the full length of a handle body. Fishing rods of the through rod construction type provide improved "feel" between line, rod and reel and reduce the overall weight of the rod by utilizing the inherent lightness and strength of the rod blank to augment the strength of the reel seat body and handle body on the rod. Custom rod makers had, long ago, adapted offset handles to rods of the blank-through handle construction type. In such offset handles, the blank travels through the handle at an angle. Accordingly, such offset handles must either balance the degree of offset and the length of the handle or be specially designed to prevent the blank from protruding through the aft grip.
Experienced fishermen have also come to realize that it is more comfortable to grip an oval or non-cylindrical handle than a cylindrical handle. Presently, handle makers are making handles by way of profile grinders which are used to shape each plane of dimension. This process is costly as each different plane must be shaped separately. The cost for producing an oval or other non-cylindrical handle is often two times or more the cost of producing tapered round cylindrical handles for the same length and mean diameter.
Just as fishermen have recognized that oval or non-cylindrical handles are more comfortable, they also have recognized that oval or non-cylindrical reel seat bodies are also more comfortable to grip than cylindrical reel seat bodies. In fact, as a greater portion of the casting hand rests on the handle body than on the grip during cast, it is important to provide a handle body which is comfortable to grip.
Presently, two different style component handle bodies for a blank through rod are available, namely, one to accommodate round handle grips and another one to accommodate non-cylindrical style handle grips. From a cost and comfort benefit analysis, it would be desirable to utilize a non-cylindrical handle body with a cylindrical grip but, presently, such a configuration does not provide a smooth transition or comfortable arrangement for the fisherman.
Furthermore, available component handle bodies for rods of the through rod construction type often have an aft fixed reel foot engaging member having a rearward raised portion thereon which is downwardly angled to allow the rod handle to be raised toward the center line of the reel and effect an offset handle. It is often desirable to decrease the angle which is molded into the rar of the handle body so as to allow the grip to have an increased axial length before the blank intersects the circumference of the grip in a blank through rod design.
The present invention overcomes the above-described disadvantages and limitations of heretofore known offset handle constructions of a through-rod type by providing an offset handle assembly which can accommodate handle bodies and grips of different configuration. The offset handle assembly of this invention includes a transition collar which is interposed between the handle body and the grip to provide smooth transition therebetween. The transition collar is characterized by a fore end cross sectional configuration adapted to match the aft cross sectional configuration of the handle body of oval shaped design and an aft cross sectional configuration adapted to match the fore end cross sectional configuration of the cylindrical (round) shaped grip. The transition collar has a graduated configuration between its two ends to provide a smooth transition between the handle body and the grip. The transition collar may be also configured to change the slope of an offset handle body from that which would be obtained from a direct connection of the handle grip to the reel seat body.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved fishing rod of the blank-through construction type.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fishing rod transition collar which allows a smooth transition from a non-cylindrical handle body to a cylindrical grip.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a transition collar which modifies the slope of the offset grip.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an offset handle for a fishing rod of the through rod construction type which is characterized by a streamlined appearance and is free of any awkward protrusions.
These and other objects features and advantages of the present invention wil be clearly understood through consideration of the following detiled description.